The Craft of Contemporary Commercial Music

by Greg McCandless, Daniel McIntyre

Overview

The role of the commercial composer has grown to include a wide range of new responsibilities. Modern composers not only write music, but often, they also need to record, and market their own works. The Craft of Contemporary Commercial Music prepares today’s music students for their careers by teaching them to compose their own music, produce it professionally, and sell it successfully. The textbook integrates three areas of concentration—music theory and composition, audio engineering, and music business—allowing students to understand and practice how to successfully navigate each stage of a score’s life cycle from concept to contract. Students will learn how to:

• Translate musical ideas into scores utilizing music theory and composition techniques
• Transform scores into professional audio through the production stages of tracking, sequencing, editing, mixing, mastering, and bouncing
• Market works to prospective clients

The textbook assumes no prior knowledge of music theory or audio topics, and its modular organization allows instructors to use the book flexibly. Exercises at the end of each chapter provide practice with key skills, and online Instructor and Student Resources support the book with video walkthroughs, streaming audio, a glossary, and printable exercise pages. This second edition includes:

• Enhanced and new images throughout the book

• Updated technology examples, including greater integration of Ableton Live
• Discussions of industry-standard equipment, featuring companies such as Universal Audio, FabFilter, and iZotope
• More focus on popular music examples throughout the book, particularly in the context of music theory
• An expanded section on the music business, with new information on contracts, royalties, and digital play-tracking services
• Exercise answer keys for instructors, new video walkthroughs, and more online resources available at routledgelearning.com/cccm

Combining a grounding in music notation and theory concepts with a foundation in essential technologies, The Craft of Contemporary Commercial Music offers an innovative approach that addresses the needs of students preparing for music careers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032662763
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/29/2025
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	486
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Greg McCandless is an Associate Professor of Music Theory at Appalachian State University, USA.

Daniel McIntyre is an Associate Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee College of Music, USA.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Contemporary Commercial Composer and the Digital Audio Workstation

 

Part I.  Fundamentals of Music and Audio

        

Part Ia: Fundamentals of Music

         Chapter 1: Introduction to Pitch

         Chapter 2: Introduction to Rhythm

         Chapter 3: Introduction to Harmony

         Chapter 4: Melody and Counterpoint

 

Part Ib: Fundamentals of Audio Engineering and Sequencing

         Chapter 5: Introduction to Audio and MIDI

         Chapter 6: Manipulating Rhythm in the DAW Environment

         Chapter 7: Introduction to Acoustics

         Chapter 8: Melodic Sequencing

 

Part II.  Music Production Essentials

        

Part IIa. Composition Essentials

         Chapter 9: Functional Diatonic Harmony

         Chapter 10: Expanding your Harmonic Vocabulary

         Chapter 11: Form and Development

         Chapter 12: Basic Orchestration

              

Part IIb. Audio Engineering Essentials

         Chapter 13: Introduction to Mixing

         Chapter 14: Recording and Editing Live Instruments

         Chapter 15: Mixing and Processing

         Chapter 16: Final Mix Considerations

 

Part III.  Producing Music for Media

        

         Chapter 17: Scoring for Short-Form Media

         Chapter 18: Scoring for Longer-Form Media

 

Part IV.  The Business of Music Composition

        

         Chapter 19: The Business of Music Composition

 

Glossary